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For followers of the Catholic faith, October is Pro-Life Month. Putting their faith into action, approximately 40 anti-abortion protesters from Flathead Catholic churches protested at the corner of Main Street and Idaho in Kalispell on Sunday, Oct. 3, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. The intersection is arguably the busiest in Flathead County, making it an ideal spot for church members holding signs with slogans such as “Jesus Forgives and Heals” and “Birth Begins at Conception.”

The reaction of passing drivers was mixed, said Chris Haugen, a parishioner of St. Charles in Whitefish.

“Some people wave. One guy drove by flipping everyone off,” he said.

John Farrier, who found out about the demonstration through his Kalispell parish, St. Matthews, held a sign reading “Lord Forgive Us and Our Nation,” while two of his young children held signs reading, “Abortion Kills Children,” though his son repeatedly wondered if it was time to go yet.

“We’ve wrongly tried to eliminate God from our nation—taking down the Ten Commandments or taking God out of the pledge of allegiance,” Farrier said.

Asked if he thought the separation of church and state might not be more welcome to him if, say, Islam was to suddenly become the most popular religion in the country, Farrier replied, “We’re a Christian nation built off of Christian values, so there’s a difference.”

“We saw Christ die on the cross,” Farrier continued, later clarifying that he meant “we watched The Passion,” and “when you see that, we’re asked to make sacrifices for his glory.”

Farrier said the separation of church and state should be similar to when a man and a woman get married, in that “they’re two but they become like one.”

At 3 p.m., it was time to pack up the signs and go.

“I always hate it when the hour ends because you start having fun by the time it’s over,” Farrier said.

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Which one of these is not like the other: “The Bachelor”; “The Benefactor”; “The Apprentice”; “The Swan”; or “The Dog?”
If you recognize none of the first four titles, the Indy gives you a gold star for navigating this world free from the clutches of reality TV. If you’re saying, ‘Oh my god. I’ve missed the opening episodes of “The Dog”’ take a breath. There is, in fact, no such title on the air, though Missoula’s Barrett Productions has produced a 12-segment show called “Dog On It” for ESPN2, which began airing last week.

The show, produced by Barrett’s Rachel Locktov Ambrose, follows the Davis family of Missoula on their summertime quest to buy a dog. Dad Greg Davis wants to get back into bird hunting, so each of the first 11 episodes revolve around getting to know a different breed of sporting dog. In episode 12, the Davises choose which breed “wins” for their family.

This week: golden retrievers. For the 30-minute show, Barrett filmed footage of Bonner resident Dianne Barnes, president of the Golden Retriever Club of America; Missoula field trial judge Jeff Smith; and Stevensville dog obedience trainer Gary Kammerer, among others.

The toughest part about filming? Simulating hunting dogs’ training in the middle of summer, rather than hunting season, says Ambrose. As for managing dogs and kids on camera: “It’s fun, let’s put it that way,” she says, “but challenging.”

But the hardest thing about the show may be waking up to watch it. This week, it airs Sunday, Oct 10, at 6:30AM; Tuesday and Thursday, Oct. 12 and 14, at 4:30AM; and Saturday, Oct. 16, at 5:30AM on ESPN2.

The perk: If you get up for “Dog On It,” you’ll be asleep before “Who Wants to Marry My Mailman’s Best Friend’s Llama?”